Survivor 16

Honestly, I had no idea she could shoot a bow that well. Knowing only her appearance from the game, this was certainly an unexpected aspect of her.

'I didn't even get to see a bow in the mid-boss battle.'

Being able to handle many weapons means being flexible in dealing with situations.

And this applied to dungeon conquests as well. On the way back from collecting hunted birds, I casually suggested to her.

"Lady Luciana, would you like to try hunting further in that direction?"

Originally, I didn't plan to go hunting or dungeon exploring with her, thinking Luciana had no suitable long-range attack means.

Me? Why bother saying. I'm terrible with bows, and I can't use magic.

But this changes the story.

The birds I picked up were cleanly killed, their small heads or hearts precisely pierced.

"…?"

I called Luciana with the thought of trying to ride a bus, but she just stood there blankly, not responding.

"Lady Luciana?"

"Di-, did you call? I was lost in thought and didn't hear you. What did you say?"

She frowned immediately after hearing my suggestion.

"That place is near the Baltreon family's territory."

"Is there a problem?"

"It's not that. I've long harbored deep feelings about that place and don't even want to glance at it."

A faint crease formed between her brows.

"Do we really need to go there?"

"Personally, I've heard it's a habitat for snow rabbits. Rabbit feet are a symbol of luck, aren't they? I want to send them as a gift to my father."

"A gift for your father. Alright."

Surprisingly, she nodded without much objection and turned her horse toward the direction I mentioned.

'I thought she would say something.'

I didn't expect my half-hearted suggestion to be accepted so easily.

"What are you doing? Come on."

"Yes! On my way!"

Well, good is good.

I entrusted myself to the comfortable ride on Luciana's dungeon conquest bus.

***

"It's strange. I don't see any snow rabbits."

Her sharp comment struck me.

"Ah, haha. Yeah, it's strange. Maybe the ecosystem changed without us knowing."

Luckily, she nodded at my clumsy excuse.

"A change in the ecosystem."

"Yes. It can happen suddenly, like with the emergence of a new predator or a natural disaster like an avalanche destroying their habitat."

I planted the idea in her mind.

Something unpredictable might happen. The reason was simple.

"Ah! Lady Luciana, look here!"

[Newbie, just entered the north, what should I do?]

[If you have archery or magic enhancement, start here. It's awesome.]

[You must visit the anti-frustration threshold course.]

According to the community, a must-visit course in the north. A honey dungeon.

That was our next target.

The dungeon I remembered by various names was buried under the snow.

While Luciana was approaching, I slightly uncovered the entrance.

"A cave?"

"I'm not sure, but this might be why there are no snow rabbits."

"Indeed. Like the last time with the monster cave."

Luciana looked at me suspiciously for a moment.

"Finding places like this, just like the last time with the Direwolf Cave, is something you're really good at."

"I'm from the west. Finding hidden underground places is routine for me, like criminals' hideouts or mana stone mines."

"Do they even use children as guards in the west?"

"Uh… I was just interested and followed around."

'Sorry, father. I unintentionally made the west seem a bit trashy.'

I shrugged and responded, and she let go of her suspicion.

"Let's enter then."

Well, it was more like her slight doubt was pushed away by curiosity.

News of monster extermination from a hunt just for fun.

It was enough to stir her fighting spirit and interest, as she was inclined towards combat.

The tension in her shoulders was visibly noticeable.

"Do we have torches?"

"Of course, I'm prepared."

"Good. It looks pretty dark, so let's focus on illuminating the area."

'I feel a bit sorry for getting her hopes up.'

In fact, the enemies in this place weren't that threatening.

If they were, this wouldn't be known as an easy dungeon.

Despite the game boasting celestial-level difficulty.

This dungeon, however, was considered a healing spot and a must-visit. Although some force was required, I had Luciana with me.

[Vampire Bat Cave]

[In this small cave deep underground, a monster perfectly adapted to the harsh northern cold has made its home, hunting for its prey.]

[Defeat them and find the treasures inside the cave.]

As we entered the dungeon, a welcoming message appeared on the status screen.

Although they were monsters, the vampire bats were embarrassingly weak compared to the Direwolves. They were so frail that even my dagger could handle them.

Flying was a bit of a hassle, but with Luciana's archery?

-Whoosh.

-Squeak…

The bats, attempting to feast on the blood of the outlaws who entered the cave, were soon rolling on the ground.

"They seem too weak for monsters."

"Even weak monsters can cause significant harm to civilians and the ecosystem. You did well."

Disappointment was evident in Luciana's subdued voice.

But it was too early to be disappointed.

As I consoled Luciana and we moved forward, a high cliff appeared.

"It seems that big gate there leads to the next area."

Above it, there was an artificially made entrance, out of place in the cave.

That's right.

The main challenge here wasn't the monsters but the dungeon gimmicks.

To proceed, we had to solve annoying puzzles.

'Even Tut won't work here.'

The fact that the dungeon had a debuff ignoring the effects of artifacts didn't mean it was impossible.

However.

High up on the cliff.

I had to bring Tut directly to each point, but each one was in an impossible location, like absurdly high up.

In the end, I needed Luciana's power to break through the closed entrance.

"Lady Luciana, do you see that unusual pattern on the cave ceiling?"

At first glance, the ceiling looked like it was just covered with stalactites.

But illusions were meaningless in front of the status screen navigation.

"…Hmm. I can vaguely see something."

True to her sharp eyesight, which had caught birds from a distance, Luciana could see the pattern, though she frowned.

"It's irritating. Something is bothering me."

…A switch to bring down the cliff with the door?

"Are you okay? Do you feel unwell?"

"No, it's just my mood swings."

'Glad to hear that. I thought I'd accidentally triggered a trap.'

"Lady, could you hit that pattern with an arrow?"

"Easy."

As if sipping tea.

Under her elegant gesture, the bow trembled with tension.

-Ping-

[Cleared]

-Koogooong.

As expected.

Her skill wasn't just a fluke; it was honed over years.

As a massive sound shook the ground, Luciana and I turned our heads towards the source, and the hill with the entrance began to gradually lower.

"So this is how it works."

"We'll probably need to keep looking for patterns."

Good. At this rate, we'll quickly reach the reward room.

I looked around, pretending to find a new pattern.

"Oh, Lady, there's another one over there…"

But Luciana suddenly froze, ignoring the main gate and just standing there.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't respond to my call.

What's happening? Is something bothering her? Or is she just zoning out like during the hunt?

But as I approached her, worried, I realized all my predictions were wrong.

I could clearly see anger in her eyes.

"Lady? Did something anger you…"

She didn't listen to my full question, just grabbed her bow.

And without giving me time to stop her, she started shooting at another pattern.

'That's a fake pattern, isn't it?'

"Lady, why are you-"

The fake patterns, like decoys, not worth touching for gimmick solving, shattered one by one under Luciana's hands.

And at the same time, an alarm sounded on my status screen with a red message.

[Warning]

[The dungeon difficulty is too high compared to the party's level.]

[It is recommended to challenge again after more growth.]

A message that typically appears if the dungeon isn't at the appropriate level.

Despite the friendly warning from the status screen, the first emotion that hit me was not alarm, but confusion.

'That can't be right. This dungeon should be passable by even beginners if they understand the gimmicks.'

Confused by the completely different information from the original game, I checked the dungeon details again.

[Vampire Bat Cave]

[The Sleeping Place of the Nobility]

[There are not many choices for demons defeated in a civil war. Especially if their adversary has the potential to become a tyrant, a future Demon King.]

[The only option left for the pitiful vampire nobility is to hide and plan their resurrection. Fortunately, this vampire found a hideout in a land hostile to its own kind, a land of humans.]

[Only those with a lineage long hostile to demons could possibly discover her, skilled in hiding.]

"This is insane…!"

Quickly shaking off my dismay, I began to analyze the situation through the phrases on the status screen.

From the last sentence, it seemed Luciana had triggered the change in the dungeon.

The issue was the existence of the presumed boss.

Noble vampires are high-ranking demons that usually appear in the latter part of the game.

Naturally, even with Luciana's outstanding talent in combat and my artifact-laden equipment, facing this enemy was too much if we hadn't properly grown.

"Lady Luciana! Stop right now!"

We needed to run away and call for backup. But my shout was futile against her, who had already surrendered to her combative instincts.

When Luciana shot the last remaining pattern with her arrow, all the bats we had killed turned into black mist.

"How dare you disturb my deep slumber."

The mist soon formed a human figure, with red eyes flashing within.

"So, you were the source of this ominous aura.

"…It's not yet time. And to think, a descendant of that man."

The blonde woman who emerged from the black mist, looking at Luciana with the eyes of a sworn enemy, was reciprocated with equal hostility.

"I will eradicate the demons of the north."

"Big words. This too shall be amusing."

They clashed at a speed I couldn't keep up with. However, Luciana overlooked two things. One, her main weapon, her sword, wasn't with her since we came out for a light hunt.

Luciana's characteristic ferocious swordsmanship or her unconventional three-sword style was nowhere to be seen.

All she had were a hunting dagger and her bow.

"Ugh!"

"Hmph, you're nothing."

But more critically, the gap between her and the opponent was immense. She couldn't even maintain distance, fundamental in archery.

I struggled even to stand in place.

"Though fallen, I, Bathory, will not be defeated by a mere whelp like you."

"Ah!"

The woman, flames wrapped around her arm, knocked Luciana's bow away and punched her in the abdomen.

Luciana was sent flying, crashing into the cave wall.

"Lady Luciana! Argh."

I tried to check her condition immediately, but immense pain overtook me, forcing me to my knees.

[Warning]

[The health of NPC Luciana has dropped below 30%.]

[If the assisted NPC dies, the player will also die.]

This is bad. Just one attack, and it's a critical injury?

"Hmm. If you are the descendant of that great human, your blood will aid my recovery. Willingly offer it to me."

The sudden crisis was a disaster.

My heart pounded as if it were trying to break out of my body.

Bathory, a vampire unknown in the game, bared her sharp fangs, ready to claim her right as the victor.

Every cell in my body was screaming.

Run away now.

But, "Ugh… Hans, run."

"How touching, this master-servant relationship."

Bathory, watching amusedly, was the second problem.

"I won't let it be!"

I crawled towards Luciana.

I couldn't let her die here, so senselessly.

My life was at stake, and so was the main story.

But beyond that, I just wanted my favorite character to live a long, happy life.

"Good thing I didn't use this before."

The return stone I was going to use after raiding Count Baltreon's house.

It was a godsend I hadn't used it during the quest to elevate my reputation as a thief.

There was only one chance.

Bathory could sever my arm in the blink of an eye. I had to finish everything before she approached. My stomach churned, and I tasted blood.

My trembling hand finally reached Luciana.

"Hans?"

"I bought this with my own money. You owe me for this….First, get out of here."

The teleportation magic engraved in the mana stone was expensive, and I had struggled to acquire it. Naturally, the location was set to Duke Speda's mansion.

A faint magical aura enveloped Luciana.

"No…!"

"Huh?"

Leaving behind her faintly disappearing voice, I faced the cause of this trouble.

Bathory, who had been watching leisurely, raised her eyebrows in annoyance.

"Tsk, an annoying little brat interfering. Well, fine. Offer your own blood to me then."

Of course.

Even a brush of her fingernail could kill me.

I had to talk my way out, my mouth dry with nervous tension.

It was time for a negotiation for my life.